Far from the madding crowd - Exploring chapters 39-40.
Exploring Chapters 39-40. I specifically chose to discuss these chapters as I think they are the turning point of the novel. Bathsheba realises the mistakes she has made, the most important one being her marriage to Troy. She discovers this whilst also finding out about his affair with Fanny which he has been trying to hide for so long. Also from this section of the book you can see that the novel was originally published in short sections, and as you read it, you can see that Hardy intentionally leaves the reader in suspense; to motivate readers to buy the next issue of the magazine. One of Hardy's central concerns in all of his writing was the problem of modernity in a society that was rapidly becoming more and more industrial. One of his projects as a writer was to create an account of life in the swiftly changing Dorsetshire as it had once been. He was particularly interested in the rituals and histories of that part of England, as well as the dialect of its locals. The title Far From the Madding Crowd suggests avoidance of the life of a city, modernised government, crowds and industry; in it, Hardy tries to fashion a portrait of what he saw as an endangered way of life and to create a snapshot for future generations. We can see this in the imagery used and the vivid description of events throughout the novel. The start of chapter 39 is the first glimpse we have of
The Mayor of Casterbridge - 'Michael Henchard's life was a series of disasters that led to self-destruction; we can have no sympathy for him.' Discuss.
The Mayor of Casterbridge 'Michael Henchard's life was a series of disasters that led to self-destruction; we can have no sympathy for him.' Discuss. Whilst studying 'The Mayor of Casterbridge' it is noticeable from a fairly early stage that the title statement is ambivalent. We can clearly see that he suffered a great number of disasters, but he also achieved success to a higher level than most. When looking at his position before arriving in Casterbridge and for a while prior to his status boost, it is clear just how much his status has grown. When Michael arrived in Casterbridge he was a 'journeyman hay-trusser.' From this position he managed to work on his status Worth explaining how until he was a churchwarden, magistrate and the town Mayor. The biggest disaster that Michael experienced was when he sold his wife, Susan, in Mrs Goodenough's grand furmity tent at Weydon Fair. He consumed several portions of smuggled rum-laced furmity, each one a little stronger. After three it was said that he was argumentative but still had more and eventually sold his wife to a sailor. What motivated the sale? What frame of mind was he in? Use supporting quotation. You need to explain events, Laura, not just mention that they happened. Analysis is the key to success. The day after, realising what he had done, he made a vow not to drink for as many years as he had lived to that day -
What techniques does Thomas Hardy use to make this story seem like a 'true' ghost story, and not just a fantasy? The superstitious man's story
Kristian Shaw 11th December 2002 The Superstitious Man's Story Thomas Hardy What techniques does Thomas Hardy use to make this story seem like a 'true' ghost story, and not just a fantasy? Hardy uses many lingual techniques to create a very genuine and authentic feel to the story, as opposed to a fantasy. When Hardy begins the story, it becomes apparent almost immediately that it is written informally. This creates a conversational link between the text and the reader, allowing the reader to become directly involved with the events held within. To further include the reader, Hardy uses examples of street names, and names of other places and people, assuming that we are already familiar and acquainted with them. Also, the dialect used in the story is of "Old English" style, which makes the story much more relevant and believable. This allows the short story to feel much more realistic. Hardy has cleverly pioneered a timeline into the story, which helps to add to its genuine feel. We find that the story takes place over a few days, rather than that of an average normal ghost story, usually consisting of just a 'one-night' event only. For example, we see that the story begins on Sunday, "Well, one Sunday....". Then time changes as the week progresses, "During the week after...". Also, we
Thomas Hardy has been praised for the strength of his narrative in The Wessex Tales. Discuss Hardy(TM)s narrative technique in at least three of the short stories in the collection. You should also consider the elements
Thomas Hardy has been praised for the strength of his narrative in "The Wessex Tales". Discuss Hardy's narrative technique in at least three of the short stories in the collection. You should also consider the elements which Hardy includes in his narratives which make them compelling and interesting. Thomas Hardy has, throughout his literary works within "The Wessex Tales" maintained a strong and unique narrative style, which has over nearly one hundred and fifty years enticed and compelled his audience to read on. Hardy successfully uses the pastoral voice within his narration; this is a highly conventional mode of writing, which idealizes a golden age of rustic innocence and virtuous frugality. We can see clear evidence for this in Hardy's work within the context that he wrote about a fictional place, similar to Dorset or Sussex, fifty years previous to his writing. Although the tales are fictional, the world and characters Hardy created were not far from what would have been within the time of his tales, therefore making the tales more believable and thereby letting his audience relate further to the tales. His success in creating a fictional world is, in my opinion, helped by the separation of the time period of his readers and that of his characters/tales. By setting his stories in the past an air of mystery is created, as none of his readers would have known what it
Explore Hardy's use of settings at Talbothays in phase the third and at Flintcomb-Ash in phase the fifth of "Tess Of The D'Urbervilles".
Explore Hardy's use of settings at Talbothays in phase the third and at Flintcomb-Ash in phase the fifth of "Tess Of The D'Urbervilles". * Your response should focus closely on the language of both sections and explain how character and theme are developed in each location. * You should also demonstrate an awareness of the novel's historical context particularly with a view to C19th notions of 'nature' and morality. * Finally ensure that you paragraph your essay, incorporating word and phase level quotation in support of your argument. Hardy includes nature into his stories almost as an extra person. His writing is rich with the sharpness of the weather, the countryside and the creatures of his home town Wessex. The people of his home town live on the land in a totally different way in which we do as we now have high technology and live in urban areas. Tess in Hardy's story experiences both good and bad during her life as a farm labourer. This mirrors the change in agricultural practices she witnesses. Hardy likes to in some of his books question the existence of god. And when Tess is finally hanged in his book he writs "The sun's rays smiled on pitilessly" The setting at Talbothays is happy. Hardy uses words which are very descriptive to make his sentences but one of the best are "The Froom waters were as clear as the pure river of life." To say that the Froom waters
In what ways does Hardy make “The Superstitious Man’s Story” like a true ghost story and not like a fantasy?
The Superstitious Man's Story In what ways does Hardy make "The Superstitious Man's Story" like a true ghost story and not like a fantasy? Many factors in Thomas Hardy's 'The superstitious man's story' contribute to its realism and potency as a ghost story. Hardy, having been brought up in similar surroundings to the story, has an automatic knowledge and understanding of village life and everyday events. These are a large focus in this particular tale, used to make it more believable and less clichéd. When reading this story it is easy to imagine the characters and the setting as they have been created to represent the average person's life. Purposely, Thomas Hardy has fabricated this environment for his characters. Although Hardy wants to interest his readers, introducing simplicity to the setting is a vital element in creating this successful story. To make a story realistic as in 'The Superstitious Man's Story' readers have to be able to imagine the setting. At the time this folk tale was written, the village Hardy describes is one that many people reading the story would be able to imagine and to which they could relate. Within the village, we see that there are many generations of the family living there as the narrator introduces Nancy as "Jim Weedle's daughter". This adds to the realism in the story as we are given a slight history of the village and the people
How Hardy represents Bathsheba and Fanny, and how he evokes sympathy for them
Far from the Madding Crowd. In this essay I would like to evaluate how Hardy represents Bathsheba ??and ?Fanny, and how he evokes sympathy for them. The plot of Far From the Madding crowd takes place in a fictional county known as Wessex, which is actually Dorset in the South West of England. In this novel, Hardy presents us with an accurate picture of the rural way of life, which was gradually being lost. It is set in 1840 and we are given an insight into the old farm workers communities, the customs of the countryside and the inherited wisdom and the knowledge of generations. I will start with Bathsheba, we learn that Bathsheba was a vain woman, "woman of Bathsheba's calibre" She was always aware of how she looked and of what other people thought of her. Bathsheba's vanity is clarified in the reader's first view of her, "she blushed at herself." She shows her selfish quality which creates vulnerability in her character, although she does not want anyone to be aware of this because she may feel that it makes her look weak or inadequate as an independent women, and farm owner. She was also a very independent woman who defined the preconceived idea of a woman's role in the 19th century by inheriting her uncle's farm, and was successful in running the farm effectively. She adapts well, becoming a "supervising and cool woman" and takes the unconventional step of managing the
How does Thomas Hardy Present Gabriel Oak as a Hero?
How does Thomas Hardy Present Gabriel Oak as a Hero? Gabriel Oak's character has developed a lot in 'Far from the Madding Crowd'. He started off as 'clumsy and foolish' and he ended up as 'heroic'. A hero is a man admired for achievements and noble qualities; In this case this word does not refer to someone with superhuman powers! The first description of Gabriel Oak: 'on working days, he was a man of sound judgement, easy motions, proper dress and general good character'. Hardy's description implies that there is nothing special about Farmer Oak; that he is just an average man. Hardy also states, that on a Sunday, a non-working day; Oak is a kind of pepper and salt mixture. This means that he is normal; he is a man with 'balanced' morals. Another thing that Hardy uses to bring across Oak's personality is the way he dresses. This gives people more idea about Oak's character and personality. His clothes were very practical but they made him look 'clumsy and foolish'. Hardy also states that Gabriel was a source of some amusement; his watch was very difficult to get out, apart from being amusing, this also demonstrates that Oak doesn't need to use modern conventions to tell the time. He can use the position of the sun and stars to tell the time. This is an example of how close he is to nature. This is also hinted in his name: Gabriel 'oak', the word oak is used to describe
Did Hardy love Wessex?
Did Thomas Hardy love Wessex? Thomas Hardy, the writer of "Far From A Madding Crowd" once lived in idyllic agricultural Britain, his affection and love for this is shown very clearly in his writing and in the book as a whole. Hardy spends much time describing the landscape to the reader when a new location is introduced in the novel. In the beginning of the second chapter Hardy spends one third of the small chapter describing the area. We are told of the trees, foliage and "dry leaves" as he continues to create a visual in the readers' head. The reader pays attention to this extra detail because of our "instinctive act of humankind to stand and listen". To end the description Hardy explains how Oak's "tiny frame" is minute compared to this wholesome surrounding of the Wessex countryside. We can see by this that Hardy loves this atmosphere as he gives so much time to the countryside which he loves dearly. He even personifies the twinkling of the stars as if they were living and gives them "throbs of one body" like a pulse and tell us they are "timed by a common pulse" which is the Wessex landscape itself. Hardy loves it to the extent where it is living and breathing. Hardy chose his characters names carefully, not only to portray their individual characteristics but to also suit his idyllic countryside. The central role is given to Gabriel Oak. His name Oak, suggests that
A comparison of the storm scenes in lord of the flies by William Golding and Far from the madding crowd by Thomas Hardy
A comparison of the storm scenes in lord of the flies by William Golding and Far from the madding crowd by Thomas Hardy William Golding was born in Cornwall in the earlier part of last century, his father was a teacher and his mother was an activist for the votes for women movement. He too became a teacher like his father after attending university. During the Second World War he was in the navy and was involved in the d-day landings. This experience during the war showed him how brutal people could be and may have given him the inspiration to write his book. Thomas Hardy lived in Dorset and based most of his books on where he lived . "Far From The Madding Crowd" is set in and around Dorset and is based and is passed on the life of the rural community in the late 19th century. Firstly we must analyse the titles of the two stories. Lord of the flies is another phrase for the devil or Satan, the devil is a symbol of evil. Jack on the island wants to be 'Lord' or the leader and he is portrayed in the book as an evil person; so therefore represent's the lord of evil or the main ringleader on the island. I then think that he represents the devil. Far from the madding crowd is based on Thomas Hardy's area of Dorset. The title represents his time in Dorset and how far away it is from many main cities and towns. It is a telling of the seclusion of the many rural areas in Dorset.